Solved "Windows Error Recovery": "Windows Failed to Start", ,Status 0xc00000e

[rakovsky]

"Windows Error Recovery": "Windows Failed to Start", ,Status 0xc00000e

When I turn on my Lenovo G560 Laptop and Windows 7 (64 Bit) goes to load up, a black screen appears saying Windows Failed to Start and it is titled "Windows Error Recovery". I am attaching a photo of the screen below:

When I choose Launch Startup Repair, it demands that I insert an installation disc and says Status: 0xc000000e because a required device is inaccessible. My Lenovo computer did not come with an installation CD, unfortunately. I am attaching the screenshot below.

To try to solve the problem, I pressed F12 and it gave me a choice of which SATA to boot from, the first choice being Hitachi. I chose Hitachi and it didn't make a difference - the computer tried to boot from the Hitachi Sata and it failed - it showed this screen again. Then I pressed F12 again, and chose a different SATA, and that option did not work either.

Next, I pressed F3. It gave me a chance to run Windows Diagnostics, and I did so. It said that the scan's results would be shown after windows started. But unfortunately Windows did not show the results because it went back to the screen above. The same thing happened when I tried pressing F7 as when I pressed F3.

Next, I pressed F8. It had an option to run Safe Mode and also Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Neither of those options worked as the computer returned to the screen above when I tried those options. Another option from the F8 menu was to run "Repair Your Computer". I wanted to try this one, but when I do, it goes to the Launch Repair screen, which requires a Windows 7 CD. Unfortunately as I mentioned, no CD came with my Lenovo computer. The F8 Option of "Enable Low Resolution Video" also did not work.

Maybe the reason for this error is really a virus that got into the system. However, I do have the latest version of Norton running on auto-detect and have scanned it occasionally and it had not detected a virus. Another possible explanation is that there is a major problem in the "BIOS". Unfortunately I have average computer sophistication and don't know how to work with BIOs. I don't think that it's a hardware problem with something like overheating as the fan has always worked soundly.

 

[rakovsky]

I spent a while researching this and didn't see any easy answers,especially because Safe Mode was not working. One of the best answers turned out to be Easy Recovery Essentials by SmartNeo, which got good reviews by other customers. I am not writing here to advertise their product, and I saw that other users commented that a skilled computer technician can do the same thing on his/her own as what E.R.Essentials offers.

Here is what I did, in case others have my problem:
1) I booted the computer using the F12 button's Boot Manager on startup instead of pressing F8.

2) The Boot Manager Screen showed up and I scrolled down to SATA ODD, which I take to be my CD Drive where I inserted my E.R. Essentials CD.

3) That way, I launched my E.R. Essentials Program and I used its System Restore feature to restore my Windows settings to the way that they were in late February, about the time that the computer crashed. The Systems Restore menu did not give me any other dates to choose from for restoring the system. I would have preferred an earlier date.

Since I chose "Systems Restore", I did not run the Automated Repair. I am worried that the Automated Repair could actually damage the computer accidentally. For example, maybe it uses a different Service Pack (ERE uses S.Pack 1) or switch it to different settings than the ones that my computer uses.

On the other hand, I still don't know what caused the computer to crash, so maybe I really should run the Automated Repair or some other program?

 

[RolandJS]

If Windows and your 3rd party programs and utilities work, I highly recommend beginning and continuing a routine (bi-monthly at least) of making full images of your OS and Data partitions onto reliable external media, for example onto usb ext HDs.

 

[rakovsky]

If Windows and your 3rd party programs and utilities work, I highly recommend beginning and continuing a routine (bi-monthly at least) of making full images of your OS and Data partitions onto reliable external media, for example onto usb ext HDs.

Thanks Roland. I have CDs and can get DVDs for this too. is there an easy method to perform this?

 

[rakovsky]

Besides the Easy Recovery Essentials program, the best advice that I've heard I think is the EasyBCD program.
The Easy Recovery Essentials fixed the problem, but I've heard that the root cause could have been a problem in the BIOs and that this is something that EASY BCD can fix, but I haven't tried it.

 

[RolandJS]

Although one can use DVDs for storing full images, I highly recommend using either "twin" 256GB flash drives or even better --twin usb external hard-drives.

 

[SIW2]

Thanks Roland. I have CDs and can get DVDs for this too. is there an easy method to perform this?

An external hard drive is preferable. They are quite cheap. Just plug it in once a month and make an image. There are several free imaging programs. Aomei backupper is probably the simplest to use and works well.

Best Free Backup Software for Windows 10, Windows 8.1/8, Windows 7, Vista, XP

I have bootable media that already includes Aomei ( Backupper and partition assistant) and several other tools.

for 64 bit win 7

17514x64-v5.iso

for 32 bit win 7

A23x86.iso

 

[Snick]

Agree with SIW2. External Hard Drive not SSD for backups. I use AOMEI backupper, recommend it and Macrium Reflect free (although a more daunting GUI) Aomei Backupper free, has two versions one includes XP, one doesn't, latter has smaller footprint. You have to peruse AOMEI backupper website to find the non-XP version however.